The U.S. Department of Energy said Thursday that it will stop its
controversial cleanup at the Santa Susana Field Lab and conduct a
long-awaited comprehensive environmental review of the former nuclear
research site.

The decision to abide by a recent court order means the department has
stopped demolition of the last two buildings at the site for at least
two years while the agency prepares an environmental impact statement.

A federal court judge in May said the department's cleanup plan for the
site broke the law, and he ordered the agency to complete a detailed
analysis of contamination at the site and how it will be removed.

Longtime lab watchdogs lauded the department's decision to comply with
the judge's ruling.